Wireless devices for communication such as communication devices or terminals are also known as e.g. User Equipments (UE), mobile terminals, wireless terminals and/or mobile stations. Wireless devices are enabled to communicate wirelessly in a cellular communications network or wireless communication system, sometimes also referred to as a cellular radio system or cellular networks. The communication may be performed e.g. between two wireless devices, between a wireless device and a regular telephone and/or between a wireless device and a server, such as server providing video streaming service, via a Radio Access Network (RAN) and possibly one or more core networks, comprised within the cellular communications network.
Wireless devices may further be referred to as mobile telephones, cellular telephones, computers, or surf plates with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. The wireless devices in the present context may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as another wireless device or a server.
When one network node initiates a communication session, such as e.g. an audio, a video, or a data session with another node, they both need to have compatible voice or video or other codecs. However there are cases when two nodes that want to communicate may not have compatible protocol stacks a priori. This may be accentuated when taking into account on the Internet of Things (IoT) vision of billion devices.
The IoT is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure. Typically, IoT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications and covers a variety of protocols, domains, and applications.
Things, in the IoT, may refer to a wide variety of devices such as heart monitoring sensors, implants, biochip transponders on farm animals, automobiles with built-in sensors, or field operation devices that assist fire-fighters in search and rescue. Current market examples include smart thermostat systems and washer/dryers that utilize wifi for remote monitoring.
In order to establishing a communication session, devices such as sensors typically use low power protocol stacks such as e.g. IEEE 802.15.4-based ZigBee or 6LowPAN connectivity, while wireless devices such as e.g. wireless devices phones have protocol stacks such as IEEE 802.11.x based protocol stacks (WiFi) or 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol stacks such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
IEEE 802.15.4 specifies the physical and Media Access Control (MAC) network layers for Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs), and aims to provide low-complexity, low-cost and low-power wireless connectivity between devices.
The ZigBee standard defines a network layer on top of the IEEE 802.15.4 stack and adds mesh-networking capabilities (passing of data between devices to cover large geographical areas).
IEEE's IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPANs) is another standard that offers a network layer with IPv6 connectivity, and thus interoperability with other Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) devices such as Internet nodes. 6LowPAN also builds on IEEE 802.15.4 stack.
IEEE 802.11 defines a physical and a MAC layer for Wireless Local Area Networks. Contrary to 802.15.4, IEEE 802.11 is an established wireless standard that offers greater range without the low-power features of 802.15.4. It is more applicable for devices that have large network capacity requirements and ample power (e.g. smartphones or laptops).
A problem with existing solutions is that in many cases, devices with incompatible protocol stacks require special hardware as mediator in order to establish a session. For example, if interoperability is required between 6LowPAN and ZigBee standards, as bridging of the two will require gateways with complex application layer protocols.